Acknowledge deaths of Armenians from 1915

Andrew Burton, Getty Images

Armenians and supporters gather for a rally after marching through the streets to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915 on April 24, 2015 in New York City. Armenia says an estimated 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces in what it calls a genocide.

Armenians and supporters gather for a rally after marching through the streets to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915 on April 24, 2015 in New York City. Armenia says an estimated 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces in what it calls a genocide. (Andrew Burton, Getty Images)

Opinion: Are deaths of Armenians in 1915 genocide?

The argument about whether the loss of Armenian lives in 1915 is genocide is an argument in semantics. The issue is that countless innocent lives were lost, and acknowledging this honors the victims and provides closure for the survivors.

The truth is not phobic. Denial does not serve justice. Wrongful deaths cannot be righted, but the wrong can be acknowledged and the terrible losses can be publicly recognized and mourned so that those lost did not die in vain.